Fruit-picker.



PATENTED SEPT. 24, 1907. W. J. PRIEST. FRUIT PIGKER.

APPLIOATIQN nun) JULY 1a, 190s.

Witnaoacp UNITED STATES WILLIAM J. PRIEST, OF PLEASANT VALLEY, CALIFORNIA.

FRUIT-PICKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 24, 1907.

/ Application filed July 18, 1905. Serial No. 270,252.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. PRIEST, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pleasant Valley, in the county of Eldorado, State of California, have invent ed certain new and useful Improvements in Fruit- Pickers; and I do hereby declare the fpllowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention. such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to fruit pickers and has for its object to provide a device of this kind with which fruit may be gatheredwithout bruising or otherwise injuring the latter.

Another object is to provide a picker which will be extremely simple and which may be manufactured at a low figure.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following specification, which describes an embodiment of the present invention.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, Figure l is a side elevation of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the sleeve. Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the cutting ring on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, showing the arrangement of the rivets.

Referring now to the drawings, the present invention comprises a cutting ring 5 which is formed of a strip of metal overlapped at its ends and having rivets 6 engaged in the overlapping portion and in the upper end of a supporting pole 7, the rivets thus holding the ends of the strip together and holding the ring to the pole. The upper edge of the ring is serrated as shown at 8, the edges of the serrations being sharpened and secured to the lower edge of the ring there is an upper end of a guide sleeve 9 of suitable fabric. This sleeve is formed of a piece of fabric which is secured at two of its edges 10 and 11 to the edges of the supporting pole 7 by means of tacks 12, these edges of the fabric being thus held in position to form a sleeve. Adjacent to the lower end of the sleeve the edges of the fabric are free from the pole for a short distance as shown at 13 to permit of grasping the pole with the hand. The lower end of the sleeve is open.

In use, the pole is grasped by one hand of the user at the point at which the fabric is separate therefrom, as mentioned above, and the lower end of the pole is rested upon the rearward portion of the other hand of the user. The cutting ring 5 is then disposed with a piece of fruit therewithin and the stem of the fruit is caused to enter the space between a pair of the serrations 8. The device may then be manipulated to sever the stem, as will be readily understood, when the fruit will pass down through the sleeve into the hand of the user which lies below the lower end thereof.

What is claimed is:

A device of the class described comprising an annular fruit picking element, a pole having its upper end disposed within said picking element and fastened against the inner face thereof, and a tubular sleeve formed of fabric and secured at its upper end within said picking element, said sleeve having its edges secured directly to opposite sides of said pole to within a short distance of its lower end, such sleeve end being unattached to said pole.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM J. PRIEST.

Witnesses IDA A. \Vm'BnIGH'r, C. M. WILTON. 

